May 20 was a day of celebration and exciting preparation here at College Possible Oregon. At the day’s start, high school seniors gathered at Portland State University’s Native American Student and Community Center for Summer Bridge, our annual enrollment preparation event. To kick off the day, former state representative Teresa Alonso Leon delivered an inspiring speech about her family origins, education and path to politics.
Following Alonso Leon’s address, students dove into enrollment checklists, the important guides that include the financial, academic and administrative tasks that they must complete in order to begin college in the fall. We are abundantly grateful to the community volunteers who gave their time to serve as enrollment coaches for the event!
The second half of the day was dedicated to celebration! Each spring, Launch! serves as an opportunity for the College Possible community to look back on their collective accomplishments and commemorate the previous school year. College Possible students and families gathered at the PSU Academic and Student Recreation Center terrace to enjoy fellowship, inspiring speeches, student performances and fun-filled raffles.
Our college student speaker, America, offered an empowering message to her younger peers, “College will have challenges, but with the support of your community, by celebrating your wins, and by learning to value your identity in spaces where it might not be necessarily celebrated or recognized, you will be able to accomplish anything you set out to accomplish.” Congratulations to the College Possible high school class of 2023, and best of luck as you take your next steps!
A special thank you to our generous hosts at Portland State University, as well as every vendor, business and volunteer who made Summer Bridge and Launch! possible.
